Artist kit



S. D. M GILL May 12, 1964 ARTIST KIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 7, 1962 INVENTOR. SALL y MCG/LL BY WM ATTOR/VE 19 S. D. M GILL May 12, 1964 ARTIST KIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. '7, 1962 INVENTQR. g4 L L Y MCG/L L WM Afro/ewe r5 United States Patent 3,132,439 ARTIST KIT Sally D. McGill, Rimini Gulch, Helena, Mont.

Filed Nov. 7, 1962, Ser. No.,235,949

6 Claims. (Cl. 45 -129) This invention relates to artists kits or the like, and more particularly to artists kit which is self-contained in that all of the essential articles used by an artist can be contained therein, and which further includes means to support the same board or canvass.

It is quite apparent that when an artist goes into the field to paint, it is necessary to carry mounted canvasses, a drawing board, tubes of paint, brushes, a pallet, etc. It is obvious that anartist carrying all of this material would be quiteburdenedand the moving from place to place would require considerable effort on the part of an artist to gather all of the previously mentioned paraphernalia each time it was necessary to move.

The above disadvantages are completely obviated by the artist kit ofsthe present invention which has as its primary object anartist kit which is self-contained having compartments therein for all the necessary paraphernaliaassociated with painting and meansto support the same in spaced relation to a surface to provide an easel for supporting a canvass or drawing board.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an artist kit which is extremely compact and which is provided with means to accommodate all of the necessary articles used by an artist while painting.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an artist kit which includes telescoping legs housed therein and extensible to support the kit when the same is opened to provide an easel.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an artist kit having a simple and sturdy construction, and an easy mode of operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomereadily apparent by referring to the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the artist kit of the present invention shown with the parts in position for transport. i 1

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the artist kit shown in FIGURE 1 with the parts in position for use.

. FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the artist kit shown in FIGURE 1 with parts in section taken on lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4is FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged side elevational view of the artist kit as shown in FIGURE 2 in position for use illustrating the manner in which an easel or drawing board is supported thereon.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the artist kit shown in FIGURE 1 illustrating the manner in which the closures are mounted thereon and interfit.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the artist kit of the present invention is generally indicated by the ref erence numeral 10 and includes a rear wall 12, oppositely disposed top and bottom walls 14, oppositely disposed side walls 16, and an open front 18. The open front 18 is normally closed by a pair of closures 20 and 22 which are hingedly secured to side walls 14. Closure 20 is provided with an overlapping flange 24 which engages the closure 22 and is held in position by a pair of latches 30 and 32 pivotally mounted adjacent the side walls 16. The latches 30 and 32. are shown in the position assumed to hold the closure members in closed position in FIG- arear view of the artist kit shown in and provide an easel for a drawing,

movement of the arms with respect URE 1. The detail of the flange 24 and its overlapping relation to closure 22 is shown in FIGURE 6'.

Each of the side walls 16 includes peripherally enclosed portions which define passages 34 and 36 in whichare mounted a first pair of telescoping legs 38 and 40. Other portions of side walls 16 define open back channels 42 and 44 which are in spaced parallel relation to the enclosed passages 34 and 36 and in which a second pair of telescoping legs 46 and 48 are pivotally mounted. Only one, 46, of the second pair of telescoping legs is shown. Pivotal movement of the second pair of legs 46 and 48 is limited by means of two sets of articulated links 50, one being shown. The links are pivotally secured atone end to legs 46 and 48 and at their other ends to the channels 42 and 44 in end walls 16. A brace member indicated generally as 49 in FIGURE 4 is hingedly secured at its top to the back 12 of the kit 10. The brace 'consists of two leg covering elements 51 and 53 secured to legs 46 and 48 respectively and a horizontally extending cross-piece 55. It will be apparent that when the artist kit of the present invention is set up, legs 38 and are extended to the desired length, and legs 46 and 48 are pivoted to the limit of the length of articulated links and extended to the desired length. The cross-piece 55 prevents the legs 46 and 48 from spreading sideways.

Universally mounted within the kit 10 are a pair of extensible arms 52 and 54, each having universally mounted clip members 56 and 58 mounted at the free end thereof. One or more conventional ball and socket joints or single or double universal joints are provided at each end of each arm 52 and 54 to provide so-called universal to the kit wall and movement of the clips with respect to the arms. Each arm between its ends consists of a plurality of conventional telescoping tubes so that each arm is extensible; The exact details of these arms are unimportant, but reference is here made to pp. 2782 and 208 of Wesbsters New International Dictionary, 2nd Edition Unabridged, 1947, under headings universal joint and ball and socket joint for illustration of suitable end structures for arms 52 and 54. Similar clips 57 and 59 are universally mounted on the top edge of the compartment dividing Wall of the closure 22 in a manner so as not to interfere with closing of the kit 10. The clips 57 and 59 may be adjusted to remove the palette P. The purpose of extensible arms 52 and 54 and clips 56, 57, 58 and 59 will be later assigned.

Closures 20 and 22 are each provided with compartrnents C on the side thereof which faces inwardly of the kit 10 when they are in the closed position as shown in FIGURE 6. Walls 60 and 62 of the compartment C on the closure 22 are each provided with aligned notches 64 and 66 and 68 and 70, respectively. The compartments C on closure 22are covered by means of a pivoted cover member 72 whereby when the closure 22 is in the position shown in FIGURE 6, the supplies carried in the compartments'C are prevented from falling out of the same. A similar pivoted cover 73 is provided for closure 20 to avoid small articles from becoming dislodged and falling on the canvass.

The kit is shown in FIGURE 5 with the parts thereof in position when the sameis being used by an artist. The telescoping legs 38 and 40 and 46 and 48 have been extended and legs 46 and 48 pivoted relative to legs 40 whereby the kit is supported in spaced relation to a ground or floor surface. Closures 20 and 22 are shown in the open position, the closure 20 having a stop rod 74 thereon which is engageable with adjacent top wall 14 to limit pivotal movement of the closure 20. Closure 22 is provided with articulated links 76 which are pivotally secured at one end to side walls 16 and at their other end to the walls 60 and 62 which form a portion of the compartments C on the inner surface of the closure 22. The arrangement is such that closure 20 is positioned as shown with the contents held in'the compartments C therein readily accessible to the artist. The closure 22 is held in substantially horizontal relation to the ground or floor surface on which the kit is supported and the cover member 72 can be readily lifted to expose the contents of the compartments C. When it is desired to place a canvass on the kit as set up in FIGURE 5 to provide an easel, the lower edge of the canvass is positioned by clips 57 and 59 and/or by grooves 64 and 66 of compartment walls (at) and 62. The opposite edge of the canvass is engaged by clips 56 and 58 mounted on the ends of extensible arms 52 and 54 and held in the position shown in full lines. When it is desired to use a drawing board, one edge thereof is engaged in grooves 68 and 70 of compartment Walls 6d and 62 and the opposite edge is engaged by clips 56 and 58 on arms 5?. and 54. However, it is noted that the position of the drawing board indicated by the reference numeral B and shown in dotted lines may be slanted as desired to provide the proper position for the artist to work thereon. The drawing board B is provided with a plurality of spaced transverse grooves G on one side thereof and when it is desired to do water color washes or the like, the arms 52 and 54 are moved to the dotted line position shown within the kit It) and the clips 56 and 58 engaged over one edge of the board B. The cover 72 for the compartments C in closure 22 is pivoted and engaged in a selected one of the grooves G in the drawing board B whereby the same can be held in the position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 5 in substantially horizontal relation so that the water color wash or operation being performed can be easily accomplished. Means are provided adjacent the inside of the back wall 12 to secure the arms 52 and 54, thus avoiding movement of the drawing board B during use. The drawing board B will preferably have a pocket or the like (not shown) on the back thereof to carry supplies such as various types of papers. Spring clips (not shown) may be provided on the working surface of the board to maintain the drawing paper in stationary relationship during use. For ease in handling of the kit during transporting of the same from one location to another, there is provided a folding handle 7 3 mounted on one of the side walls 14. Detachably secured wheels (not shown) may be provided for each of the legs 38, 4t 46 and 48 to render the kit more mobile when opened in the manner shown in FIG- URES 2 and 5.

Fixed to one of the side Walls 16 are turnable clip members 89 and 32 which can receive a framing device 84 which assists the artist in framing the scene to be painted. The compartments C in closure 22 can be constructed to contain a pallet, brushes, brush holder, etc. for example, as shown in FIGURE 3. The compartments C in the closure Ztl are adapted to contain paint supplies and materials used in mixing and thinning the same.

While many variations and modifications may be made in the inventive concept herein described, it is intended that the disclosure be interpreted as illustrative, and limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A kit for artists comprising a receptacle possessing parallel front and back walls, the latt r only being fixed, fixed top and bottom walls, and a pair of fixed side walls, the perpendicular distance between front and back walls being considered the receptacle thickness, said receptacle including support means, to maintain the same in spaced relation to an underlying supporting surface, a pair of substantially equal size rectangular closure means with interior walled compartment means thereon with wall heights slightly less than the interior receptacle thickness and connected to the inside of the enclosure means,

said closure means taken together forming the major area portion of the front Wall of the receptacle, the closure means in closed position being coplanar, the remainder of the area of the front wall formed by opposing pairs of horizontal and vertical margins, hinge means attached to the lower horizontal margin and the one contiguous closure means to pivot the lower closure from a substantially vertical closed position to a substantially horizontal open position to expose the adjacent lower interior of the receptacle and the lower interior compartments, hinge means attached to the upper horizontal margin and the other contiguous closure means to pivot the upper closure from a substantially vertical closed position to a substantially vertical inverted open position to expose the adjacent upper interior of the receptacle and the remaining interior compartments,.and means to individually limit the extent of pivotal movement of each of said closure means to that required for said open positions.

2. A kit for artists comprising a receptacle including vertical and parallel front and back walls, said receptacle including extensible legs to maintain the same in spaced relation to a supporting surface, a pair of superposed equal area closures collectively forming the major area of the front wall of said receptacle, each of said pair of closures individually pivotally movable respectively from a top and bottom edge of the receptacle to expose the interior of said receptacle, stop rod means on the upper of said closures engageable with said receptacle to limit pivotal movement thereof, articulated rink means pivotally connected to the receptacle and to the lower of said pair of closures to limit pivotal movement thereof, latch means on an exterior surface of said receptacle and overlapping an exterior surface of the upper closure to prevent pivotal movement of said closure when the same is in closed position, and overlapping flanges at the horizontal meeting of the closures, the flange of the upper closure covering the underlying flanges of the lower closure, whereby, when the closures are in closed positions and the upper closure is latched, the lower closure is prevented from pivotally opening.

3. A kit for artists comprising a receptacle having a large vertical rear wall, an oppositely vertically disposed pair of side walls, horizontal top and bottom walls, and a centrally open front wall, upper and lower coplanar closures each hingedly mounted respectively adjacent the front edge of one of said horizontal walls to collectively close the central part of the open front of said receptacle, first front and second rear pairs of telescoping legs mounted, when in contracted position, within and adjacent said side walls and extensible therefrom to support said receptacle in spaced relation to a surface, stop rod means on the upper closure engageable in compression with an adjacent top wall to limit pivotal movement of the closure when the same is moved upwardly to expose the upper portion of the interior of said receptacle, articulated links pivotally connected to the side walls of said receptacle and to the lower closure to limit pivotal downward movement of the closure when the same is moved towards a horizontal position to expose the lower and remaining portion of the interior of said receptacle, and latch means at the front of said receptacle and extending from the vertical side walls to prevent pivotal opening movements of said closures when the same are in a closed position.

4. A kit for artists as defined in claim 3 wherein said side walls each includes first portions defining vertical enclosed passages having an open bottom end, one of each leg of said first and front pair of telescoping legs vertically mounted within one of said enclosed passages, other portions of said end walls defining vertical open back and open bottom end channels in spaced parallel relation to the enclosed passages, one of each leg of said second and rear pair of telescoping legs vertically mount ed by a top pivot within one of said channels, and a brace a kali member including a horizontal portion cross connecting said pair of closures includes a the latter pair of pivoted legs at a height just above the bottom Wall of the receptacle.

5. A kit for artists as defined in claim 3 and also including a plurality of extensible arms each mounted with 5 a universal connection at a fixed end which latter is interior of a top wall of said receptacle, and each terminating at a free end with an additional universal connection which carries a clip means, each of the latter capable said closures are in closed positio position.

plurality of walls fixec at right angles to the inside surface of each closure of said receptacle so as to define hidden compartments when 11, said walls extending close to said back when the closures are in the closed References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS of variable engagement with spaced top marginal points 10 654, 41 M D ld July 31, 1900 on the periphery of a canvass or a drawing board which 1,480,631 Osborn Jan. 15, 1924 may be supported at its base on the inside of the lower 2,550,550 Goodstein Apr. 24, 1951 closure when the latter is moved to a horizontal position- 2,586,524 Dussardier Feb. 19, 1952 6. An artist kit as defined in claim 3 wherein each of 3,082,567 Gee Mar. 26, 1963 

1. A KIT FOR ARTISTS COMPRISING A RECEPTABLE POSSESSING PARALLEL FRONT AND BACK WALLS, THE LATTER ONLY BEING FIXED, FIXED TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, AND A PAIR OF FIXED SIDE WALLS, THE PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE BETWEEN FRONT AND BACK WALLS BEING CONSIDERED THE RECEPTACLE THICKNESS, SAID RECEPTACLE INCLUDING SUPPORT MEANS, TO MAINTAIN THE SAME IN SPACED RELATION TO AN UNDERLYING SUPPORTING SURFACE, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL SIZE RECTANGULAR CLOSURE MEANS WITH INTERIOR WALLED COMPARTMENT MEANS THEREON WITH WALL HEIGHTS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE INTERIOR RECEPTACLE THICKNESS AND CONNECTED TO THE INSIDE OF THE ENCLOSURE MEANS, SAID CLOSURE MEANS TAKEN TOGETHER FORMING THE MAJOR AREA PORTION OF THE FRONT WALL OF THE RECEPTACLE, THE CLOSURE MEANS IN CLOSED POSITION BEING COPLANAR, THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA OF THE FRONT WALL FORMED BY OPPOSING PAIRS OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL MARGINS, HINGE MEANS ATTACHED TO THE LOWER HORIZONTAL MARGIN AND THE ONE CONTIGUOUS CLOSURE MEANS TO PIVOT THE LOWER CLOSURE FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL CLOSED POSITION TO A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL OPEN POSITION TO EXPOSE THE ADJACENT LOWER INTERIOR OF THE RECEPTACLE AND THE LOWER INTERIOR COMPARTMENTS, HINGE MEANS ATTACHED TO THE UPPER HORIZONTAL MARGIN AND THE OTHER CONTIGUOUS CLOSURE MEANS TO PIVOT THE UPPER CLOSURE FROM A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL CLOSED POSITION TO A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL INVERTED OPEN POSITION TO EXPOSE THE ADJACENT UPPER INTERIOR OF THE RECEPTACLE AND THE REMAINING INTERIOR COMPARTMENTS, AND MEANS TO INDIVIDUALLY LIMIT THE EXTENT OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF EACH OF SAID CLOSURE MEANS TO THAT REQUIRED FOR SAID OPEN POSITIONS. 